03-25-2026 Workshop Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE WORKSHOP MEETING CITY COUNCIL LITTLE CANADA, MINNESOTA MARCH 25, 2026 Pursuant to due call and notice thereof a Workshop meeting of the City Council of Little Canada, Minnesota was convened on the 25th day of March, 2026 in the Conference Room of the City Center located at 515 Little Canada Road in said City. Mayor Tom Fischer called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. and the following members of the City Council were present at roll call: ROLL CALL: In attendance were Mayor Fischer, City Council Members Miller, Kwapick and Malone. Absent: Gutierrez. ALSO PRESENT: City Administrator Bryce Shearen (arrived at 7:08 p.m.), Assistant City Administrator Laura Linehan, Community Development Director Ben Harrington and City Clerk/HR Manager Heidi Heller. EDA 401— ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES The Community Development Director explained that the Council is continuing their EDA conversations and tonight will discuss redevelopment. He stated that the city owns several properties that have both opportunities and constraints for future use and redevelopment. He stated that tonight the Council will discuss three potential redevelopment areas and provide direction on priorities, potential strategies and next steps for each area. He noted that the city has received serious inquiries and interest for all three sites. The Community Development Director stated that there are funds available for the city engineering firm to do potential site renderings of the Condit site along with conducting some community engagement. He explained that this is approximately a 4.85-acre site located between Country Drive and Condit Street that is made up of six parcels that the city has acquired over the last 20 years. He noted that all properties are zoned C-1, General Commercial, and the city's Comprehensive Plan currently designates the future land use as commercial. The Community Development Director stated that this is the only site where a proactive, city -led, redevelopment effort is currently feasible. He reported that the inquiries for this site have been for both commercial and residential uses. He explained the two approaches that are current options for the Council: 1. Take a proactive role through a visioning and request for proposal process, or 2. Continue to hold the properties until the Little Canada Road and Country Drive improvement projects are completed in late 2027. The Community Development Director explained that 2750 Rice Street is a 0.21-acre vacant property that previously held a 100-year-old very small retail building used as a pawn shop. He explained that the city purchased the property when the business owner was retiring due to the potential of it being part of larger redevelopment efforts with the adjoining properties. He noted that because it is so small, there is limited redevelopment potential as a stand-alone site, and efforts so far to assemble with the adjacent property have not been successful since that property owner remains uninterested in selling. He reported that Rice Street in front of this site is planned for reconstruction in 2029 which could improve sale prospects in the future. He explained the two